RDC Athletics announces Outstanding Athletes of the Year awards

“I am most grateful that we can celebrate the outstanding achievements in the classroom, impactful leadership on the individual teams, within RDC Athletics and central Alberta communities throughout the year,” added Thomas.

Officials note, these volunteer efforts are part of the Council’s mandate and components of determining the year-end award winners at the annual RDC Athletics Awards & Recognition, which were celebrated through social media channels.

Even though statistics and accomplishments from this past year’s ACAC competition weren’t available to consider, academic achievements and commitment to training, along with leadership on their team, within RDC Athletics and the community, were all factors in selecting the recipients.

After considering all of the criteria, Queens Hockey forward Camryn Wallan was named the Red Deer Bottling 2021 Outstanding Female Athlete of the Year. Wallan excelled in all aspects of being an RDC student-athlete, beginning with her studies in the Bachelor of Education Middle Years program.

“Cam has set the bar for our team academically,” said Kelly Coulter, RDC Queens Hockey Head Coach. “Her grades are consistently among the top three on the Queens and last season she was awarded the 2019/2020 ACAC Women’s Hockey Top Scholastic Achiever.”

In the 2019/2020 season, Wallan was an alternate captain on the second place Queens (15-6-3) and finished with 14 points in 24 games. She also led the team with three game-winning-goals and was said to be a versatile presence on the ice, playing in all situations. When competition resumes, the speedy forward from Beaverlodge will enter her fourth season in an even larger role.

“Cam is so deserving of this award because of how she treats her teammates and everyone she interacts with,” continued Coulter, a 2016 ACAC Women’s Hockey Coach of the Year recipient. “Cam leads by example every day and I am very proud of her.”

Among the pool of RDC male student-athletes, Kings Hockey’s Tyler Podgorenko received recognition as the Red Deer Bottling 2021 Outstanding Male Athlete of the Year. The talented defender showed a tremendous amount of dedication to his role as a student-athlete, starting with academics.

“Ty has graduated from the Instrumentation Engineering Technology Diploma program at RDC, and he is returning next year to complete his studies in Electrical Engineering Technology,” said Trevor Keeper, Kings Hockey Head Coach.

Podgorenko, described as a force at both ends of the ice last year with six goals and 21 assists in 27 games, played a critical role on the Kings’ blue line, helping to lead the team to second place (20-6-2-0) in the standings. In 2019/2020, the student-athlete from Nelson connected twice on the power play and impressively finished second on the team in points, only trailing all-star Chase Thudium.

“Ty is arguably the best defenceman in the ACAC and will return for his fifth year. Ty will be one of our team captains next year. He takes so much pride in enhancing the culture of not only Kings Hockey, but RDC Athletics as well.”

In addition to the Red Deer Bottling Outstanding Athletes of the Year, RDC also confers another significant award to a deserving student-athlete each season. With outstanding leadership capabilities, Queens Basketball forward Amy Szymanek received the 2020/2021 Al Ferchuk Leadership Award.

“Amy is one of our team captains, and she has many characteristics that inspire and elevate the play of those around her. She leads by example with her relentless effort and positive attitude, and she puts the needs of the Queens above her own,” said Mandy Botham, Queens Basketball Head Coach. “Amy was a part of the Student-Athletes Advisory Council last season and she is Co-Chair this year. She has been a driving force behind several projects at the College, such as team fitness challenges and mental health awareness.”

College officials say the student-athlete from Stauffer, Alberta, has extended her outreach to central Alberta.

“Amy is always one of the first athletes to step up and volunteer and she sees the tremendous value in helping others. She has also been integral in community-based initiatives, which include the Bleed Green Challenge and Drive-Thru Food Drive,” said Botham. “In addition to her academic and athletic commitments, Amy also volunteers at the Red Deer Food Bank.”

Along with Szymanek’s impactful leadership, she also aims for excellence in the classroom. For fall 2020 term, the Bachelor of Education student nearly achieved a 3.70 GPA while balancing several other duties as an RDC student-athlete.

When ACAC competition safely resumes, Szymanek will enter her third year on the Queens, looking to build on a remarkable 2019/2020 season, when she averaged 10.2 points per game.

Additional RDC Athletics Award Recipients

Jon Walsh Memorial Kings Volleyball Scholarship in Search of Excellence – Cody Boulding

Jon Walsh Memorial Queens Volleyball Scholarship in Search of Excellence – Tess Pearman

Red Deer Bottling High GPA Scholarship #1 – Alesha Santos, Bachelor of Science Nursing (Queens Hockey)

Red Deer Bottling High GPA Scholarship #2 – Thomas Crawford, Bachelor of Business Administration General Management (Curling)

Highest Team GPA – RDC Queens Basketball team

Graduating and transferring RDC student-athletes:

Queens Basketball – Keanna Richards
Queens Hockey – Abby Fonteyne, Tessa Ross
Cross Country/Indoor Track – Shayna Brower, Teagan Shapka, Shayla Sklaruk
Kings Hockey – Trevor Costello, Austin Hunter, Jantzen Leslie, Ryley Smith, Carter Wolski, Jacob Wozney
Kings Soccer – Nathan Swartz
Queens Volleyball – Ali Greenshields, Emma Holmes, Erin Neufeldt, Jade Van Dyke, Kira Weddell

Student-Trainer Awards

Collegiate Sports Medicine RDC Men’s Hockey Trainer Scholarship – Madison Gaskell
Red Deer Bottling Queens Pit Crew Award – Ashton Henfrey
RDC Student-Trainer Scholarship from Dr. Rattan – Amy-Leigh McDavid
Tim Hamilton Student-Trainer Hockey Award – Amy-Leigh McDavid

by rdnewsNOW Staff

RDC Athletics announces Outstanding Athletes of the Year awards

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